MSU's 2013 Diversity Awards were recently presented to, from left, Angela C. Verdell, director of diversity programs and student development with the Bagley College of Engineering (staff); Katja Walter, College of Architecture, Art, and Design (student); Rani Warsi Sullivan, associate professor in the Department of Aerospace Engingeering (faculty); and to Collegiate 4-H representative Brittany Reed (team). The annual awards are sponsored by the President's Commission on the Status of Minorities. PHOTO: Russ Houston | University Relations

Fulbright: Teaching and learning from each otherWith this week's edition, Maroon MEMO kicks off a series of short articles by Mississippi State University faculty and administrators about their experiences with the Fulbright Scholar Program. Fulbright Ambassador Stephen Cottrell, the assistant director of the MSU International Institute, gets the series started with a story about his time in Thailand.

Maroon Alert: Sharing emergency updates with MSUDuring this time of the year, weather becomes more of a factor in our day-to-day lives at Mississippi State University. The Maroon Alert system is how we communicate with the campus community about emergency situations that may arise on campus. Maroon Alert is a family of communication outlets to communicate about emergency situations. In most situations the primary means of communication are web, e-mail and sometimes instant messaging.

Volunteer service awards information from MVCThe Maroon Volunteer Center at Mississippi State details a number of volunteer opportunities for the campus community in its current newsletter, including Volunteer Soccer Coach Program, Bulldogs on the Move, K-12 Volunteer Tutors, Historic StarkVegas 10K/5K, Zombies for a Cure 5K, and more.

University hosting PERS seminar next monthHuman Resources Management at Mississippi State University is hosting a PERS pre-retirement, full-day seminar on April 10 at Bost Extension Center. This seminar offers general information on a range of topics including estate planning, Mississippi Deferred Compensation Plan and Trust, Social Security benefits, and PERS benefits and options. Early registration is encouraged.

Refresh Leadership Live 2013 simulcast April 17Human Resources Management at Mississippi State University, in conjunction with Express Employment Professionals of Starkville, will host a simulcast of Refresh Leadership Live 2013 on Wednesday, April 17 in Colvard Student Union's Fowlkes Auditorium. The half-day session starts at 8 a.m.

MSU Riley Center announces spring-summer seriesIt will be hummable. You will find yourself singing along. At times, it will tempt you to dance in your seat. Taking the stage in downtown Meridian, the MSU Riley Center’s spring/summer concert series is poised to delight ticketholders of all musical preferences when it kicks off April 12. “Every musical taste will find something to enjoy in this season’s offering,” said Dennis Sankovich, the center's executive director.

Policy reminders from University Health ServicesUniversity Health Services at Mississippi State reminds the campus community of several important policies for its patients to keep in mind when seeking treatment, parking, refilling a prescription online, and privacy.

This Week in Mississippi State Sports, 03/18/13Baseball hosts Alcorn State at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, and then travels to Lexington to begin a weekend series against Kentucky on Friday at 5:30 p.m.... Softball hosts ULL at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, and then opens a road series against Kentucky in Lexington at 5 p.m. on Friday... Men's Tennis faces Arkansas in Fayetteville on Friday at 1 p.m. and LSU in Baton Rouge at 1 p.m. on Sunday... Women's Tennis hosts Arkansas at 3 p.m. on Friday and LSU on Sunday at 1 p.m.... Track and Field hosts the Big 10-SEC Challenge on Saturday.

Life’s storms can alter career pathsB.J. McClenton’s appreciation of horses and livestock attracted him to a career with the Extension Service, but his desire to help people sealed the deal. The Monroe County Extension coordinator and 4-H youth agent said the educational aspect of Extension appealed to his desire to work outside the classroom, especially with adults. That desire to help others led him to a brief job at the West Point Fire Department. He also became a certified EMT, a path that paid off in April 2011 when an F5 tornado hit.

Templeton Ragtime Jazz Festival returns this weekWorld-renowned ragtime musicians again will deliver spectacular rhythms and outstanding showmanship during Mississippi State's seventh annual Charles Templeton Ragtime Jazz Festival. Taking place on the university campus Friday and Saturday, the major spring event includes evening concerts in the McComas Hall Auditorium, along with daytime sessions and tours at the Templeton Music Museum in Mitchell Memorial Library.

Mullen to play in C Spire Wireless pro-am in BiloxiDan Mullen, head football coach at Mississippi State University, will headline a group of 154 community leaders, business executives and elected officials playing in the C Spire Wireless Pro-Am golf event on Thursday at Fallen Oak in Biloxi. Mullen and other amateur golfers will play alongside 52 professional golfers from the PGA TOUR's Champions Tour participating in the 2013 Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic this week.

Coontz headlines Women's History Month programNationally-known historian and family studies expert Stephanie Coontz will play a major role Wednesday as part of Mississippi State's Women's History Month Celebration and the Gender Studies Lecture Series. Co-chair of the Council on Contemporary Families at Evergreen State College in Olympia, Wash., Coontz will deliver the celebration's keynote address, "50 Years of Feminism: What's Changed and What Hasn't," at 7 p.m., in McCool Hall's Rogers Auditorium. Coontz also will lead a workshop titled "Publicizing Research in the Mass Media."